ANAHEIM : Crafting a Way to Aid a Community

Crammed into a stuffy side room of the Anaheim Mobile Estates clubhouse, the 20 senior citizens, all women and members of the trailer park’s Arts and Crafts Club, went about the business of helping others.

One bunch cut fabric into squares for use in quilts and lap robes. Another group glued rhinestones onto plastic visors. One woman sat in a corner, patiently knitting an afghan. Some of the products will be donated to hospitals and convalescent homes, while others will be sold with the proceeds donated to charity.

It has been this way just about every Tuesday since 1968, when Bonnie Love brought together five of her friends to form the club. The group, whose members’ ages range from 60 to 89, recently won its sixth Disneyland Community Service Award for excellence by an Anaheim senior organization and has raised about $100,000 for charity through the years.

“When I started this, it was supposed to be a one-time ‘white elephant’ sale at the holidays, where we would get rid of some things,” said Love, 89, still the group’s leader. “But after we got done, we just decided to keep going. I feel we’re still doing great work for our ages.”

Teddy Merrifield, 83, Love’s right-hand woman, showed some of the group’s work. Hand-painted blouses like those found in boutiques. Brightly colored quilts of all sizes. Equally colorful knitted slippers and afghans.

“All year we make lap robes, slippers, bibs, whatever the (convalescent) hospitals say they need,” Merrifield said. “Those old people love bright colors.”

Back in the workroom, Mona Tracy, 62, and Cyrilla Wright, 81, were intently cutting quilt squares.

“I really like doing this because of all of the people who benefit,” Tracy said.

“And all of the women here are so congenial and good friends,” Wright said. “We benefit from the good feeling. We even get to gossip.”

Some of the charities the group has helped include the Salvation Army, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and shelters for the homeless and battered women. The children at CHOC recently received handmade Easter bunnies, crafted by the women and filled with candy.

“The look on the children’s faces made it all worthwhile,” Merrifield said.

Merrifield said she expects the group to continue for some time.

“It’s good for people to get together,” she said. “We are people who have helped others all our lives.”

Wright hopes that the club continues to produce its work for years to come. “At our age, if you become a couch potato, you’ve had it.”